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What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers on Instagram

There’s no denying Instagram is a fan favorite when it comes to promoting a business on social media. The app has played an integral role in marketing and growing a business for many, and we can attest it has been one of our lead generators for our business since its inception. As the app continued to grow over the years and new algorithms were implemented, we took note of how it affected our engagement rates. We also heard frustration from other businesses and accounts who noticed a decline in the activity they were used to receiving in years past.

While we tested new strategies and measured analytics, we also noticed there was one industry in particular that seemed to overcome the algorithm. Their accounts continued to grow quickly and their engagement seemed to increase despite changes happening on the backend. And if you currently follow interior design accounts then you know, they’re just the ones we’re talking about. That’s why we decided to outline a few strategies wedding vendors can learn from interior designers on Instagram, to help you accomplish your social media goals this year.

Please note, we do not believe social media success relies on the number of followers you have. In fact, that doesn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things. What does matter, however, is attracting the right followers who find value in your products and/or services. These are the people who are more likely to invest in you and refer your offerings to those they know. So, while it doesn’t really matter how many people follow you on Instagram, the content you post and who it reaches does.

With that, we hope you can implement these strategies to help get your brand in front of your ideal client to help you reach your business goals this year.

1. Engaging with Others

Engagement is king when it comes to social media. The algorithm takes into account how many people are engaging with your content and when in order to decide how relevant it is and who gets to see it. Increasing your engagement rates will expand your content reach and in turn, increase your brand awareness.

What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers About Engagement

Interior designers on Instagram are great at interacting with fellow interior designers. They take the time to like and comment on one another’s posts to provide feedback, cheer each other on and show support.

Why does this work?

This strategy works a couple ways. The more engagement a post receives, the more relevant it appears to the algorithm. Basically, it tells Instagram the post is “likeable”. With this, it will show up in the feeds of more followers and will increase its overall reach (the number of accounts who actually see the post).

It also allows the account handle (name) to show up on another account’s content. What this means is someone following an account you comment on may notice your comment and decide to visit your account profile. From there, they may like what you have to offer and become a fan of your products or services!

2. Using Curated Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to get discovered by your ideal client as well as get exposure to similar accounts who engage frequently.

What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers About Hashtagging

If you pay close attention to interior designer hashtag strategies, you will note they consistently use a curated set of hashtags that both their potential customers are searching as well as similar accounts who are searching and using them.

For example, if you’re a wedding vendor in Orlando, #OrlandoWedding is a great hashtag because it will be searched by potential clients planning to get married in Orlando and is also used by fellow Orlando wedding vendors. Therefore, if you use the hashtag, your content is likely to be seen by potential clients and vendors looking for your type of services.

But don’t just stop there.

Be more like interior design accounts and visit the hashtag to interact with those who are also using it. Pull up the “recent” tab and like and comment on the content others are posting. If the wedding community made this type of interaction more of a priority, imagine the amount of engagement everyone would be receiving! And as we described above, as you are commenting on other’s content, their followers are more likely to see your comment and take notice of your account. With that, be mindful of what you are saying and how you are saying it. The more valuable things you have to say, the more likely you are to attract your ideal client.

3. Sharing Others’ Content

They say sharing is caring, but what you may not realize is just how valuable sharing someone else’s content can be. Much like networking, being a “connector” (someone who connects people with others who can help them) on social media has a lot of value.

If you’re a wedding planner, for example, and share the work of a florist that a potential bride or fellow wedding planner comes to love, they will begin to think of you as one of their trusted resources for providing valuable referrals for services they need. On the other end of the connection, it helps you remain top of mind of the florist who is more likely to recall your offerings when they are referring wedding planning services. It’s a win-win for all three parties involved!

What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers About Sharing Others’ Content

Interior design accounts are notorious for sharing one another’s content. They consistently share the work of fellow interior designers (often those with similar aesthetics) within their feeds and on their Instagram Stories. What this does is gets other, similar accounts in front of their own audience and vice versa to expand their reach. Essentially, they are maximizing their reach by getting in front of one another’s audiences.

They also never forget to do this.

When their own content is shared, they make it known. They thank the account for sharing their work by resharing the feature (usually on Instagram Stories) and tagging the account. Then, when they share other’s content, those accounts are more likely to reshare the feature and tag them in return. Again, this maximizes their reach by exposing fellow interior designers to their own followers.

4. Taking Advantage of Instagram Stories

What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers About Instagram Stories

Interior design accounts consistently post to their stories, showing progress of the projects they are working on and allowing their followers to get to know them better. It creates a connection a still picture in the feed just can’t accomplish.

Just remember, when you are creating an Instagram story, be sure to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end, so you don’t leave your viewers hanging or catch them off guard.

5. Finding Your Social Media Tribe

Just like they advise you to find your business tribe, be sure to find your social media tribe. Who are the fellow wedding vendors that complement your business and are just as committed to growing an engaged community on Instagram?

What Wedding Vendors Can Learn From Interior Designers About Social Media Tribes

Interior design accounts tend to be good at finding their tribe and supporting it in numerous ways. In what ways might you ask? In all the ways we described above which basically boils down to sharing and engaging! They have an understanding of the value of building a community using one another’s audiences to maximize their brand awareness and increase their social media engagement.

All in all, if you are not being social on social media and if you’re not sharing others’ content that your current audience can value from, you are missing out on many opportunities to expand your reach and increase engagement.

With that, we encourage you to make engaging with others and sharing their content part of your Instagram strategy this year. It’s most effective when you share content from those who are just as committed to building an engaged audience and who complement your brand and business imperatives.